The madrasa was established in 1958 and did not have Hindu students 10 years ago. However, out of 450 students now, 202 are Hindus.

Non-Muslim students gain knowledge of Urdu and Arabic, without a compulsion and they can select subjects they like, as per the maulanas. There are 14 maulanas and four teachers who teach students from classes 1 to 10.

Deepti, a Class 4 student, says the madrasa is located near her house and many of her friends study there.

“Giving in to Deepti’s choice, I got her admitted in the madrasa and now she enjoys studying there. For the past two years, she is also studying Urdu and Arabic besides general subjects,” Deepti’s father Mahendra Singh said.

“No religion teaches discrimination on the basis of caste and creed. It is a pleasant sight to see students of different religions sitting under one roof and sending a message of unity and prosperity. Indirectly, this is a small effort made by us to send a message to all educational institutions across India,” principal Maulana Ujair Alam said.